Coming Home
by BuzzCat
Summary: It's been eight months since Darcy hugged Steve. A year since she hugged her daughter. But there are gifts to give and a grave to visit and Darcy knows she can do it herself. She just isn't sure she wants to. A western!AU


Darcy put her hands on her hips, standing in the entrance of the saloon. The room was dark save for a few candles lit around. Apparently gas lighting had yet to reach this town. She walked up to the bar, well aware of the eyes following her. She knew her pants hugged in the right places and the shirt pulled just a little too tight in the bust, but Darcy liked them that way. It meant it felt better when she turned the men away. Darcy leaned against the bar,

"Whiskey, please." she said. The barman turned around and tripped over his own feet when he saw her. Darcy's eyes widened and her jaw dropped,

"Steve?"

"Darcy." he said, his voice barely more than a breath, "I thought you weren't coming back." he said lowly as he handed her the whiskey. Darcy took it from his hand, careful to make sure their hands didn't brush. She leaned in,

"Would you like to take this upstairs? This is hardly the place to make a scene." asked Darcy. Steve held his hand toward the door upstairs,

"I trust you remember the way?"

"But of course." Darcy walked to the stairs. Steve stopped at the bottom, turning to his co-bartender, Bucky,

"You got this?"

"You go have fun." he said, smirking. Steve nodded and followed Darcy up and to the bedroom. As soon as he closed the door behind him, he turned to Darcy,

"What are you doing here?"

"Me? What are you doing here?" asked Darcy, gesturing at him. Her cool composure had dropped, leaving just a hint of panic in its wake. Steve crossed his arms,

"I stayed. You said you'd never come back."

"So did you!" said Darcy, gesturing at him. Steve looked at his feet, shuffling them back and forth,

"I lied."

"I can see that." said Darcy. They stood in silence for a moment before Steve looked up at her, hands resituated on his hips and eyes full of a pain that twisted Darcy's gut,

"Why did you come back, Darce?"

"It's been a year. Sentimentality, I suppose." she said. This time it was Darcy who lowered her eyes. Steve's expression cleared with the explanation. He nodded slowly,

"I suppose it has been a year." They were quiet a moment before Darcy said,

"Did you visit her grave yet?"

"Yeah. This morning. You?"

"Was going to go once I was properly drunk." said Darcy honestly. Steve looked at his feet again,

"Do you want me to go with you?"

"No. I can do it by myself." said Darcy quickly. Steve looked up at her with a furrowed brow,

"I know you can. I just wondered if you wanted to." he said. Darcy looked at him and shook her head, tears budding. Steve stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. Darcy let him hug her, even going so far as to put her arms around him. She was startled to realize he was crying too when she felt tears in her hair.

"We should go now. Before either of us loses our nerve." said Steve, his voice muffled by her hair. Darcy nodded slightly. It had been almost eight months since Darcy had hugged Steve. It felt good to be back.

They left through the back of the bar. Let others have their illusions about what the pair of them were up to. It was a short walk to the graveyard, just across the street. Steve kept his arm around Darcy the whole way. Before either of them was really ready, they came across a small wooden cross with a bouquet of desert flowers in front of it. Darcy was quietly crying, doing her best to keep sobs from rising up. Steve was only in slightly better form. Darcy choked out,

"Do you remember her? What she looked like?"

"Your eyes. My h-hair." said Steve.

"Two days old. Why? Why would…" Darcy took a deep breath that rattled deep in her chest. She knew there were no answers. Steve knew there were no answers. There hadn't been answers that day either. Steve's arms tightened around Darcy,

"Did you want to say anything to her?" he asked. Darcy couldn't speak, just shaking her head. Steve nodded and slowly led Darcy away from the grave. She stopped, going back,

"W-w-wait," she kneeled and reached into the pocket of her jacket, pulling out a tiny doll. It was a simple thing, stuffed with straw and with dirt in patches. Darcy tenderly placed it beside the flowers. She stood up with her arms wrapped around her middle, "My mom g-gave it to me. I was s-supposed to give it to her." she said. Steve walked up behind her and hugged Darcy tight, his arms covering hers. Darcy turned her head into his jacket, saying quietly, "Can I come home?"

"C'mon." They shuffled back to the bar, not removing their arms from one another. Neither of them were able to look back.


End file.
